Movable wall structure



p 1933- L. J. KlLLlO N 2,114,386

MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 2, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19,1938. L. J. KILLIQN 2,114,386

MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE 7 Filed Jan. 2, 1935 15 sheets-sheet '2 Apnfl19,1938.. r L. J. KILLION, 2,114,386

MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 2, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet J. KILLIONMOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE April 19, 1938.

Filed Jan. 2, 19 35 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 Ap il 1938- KILLIO N "2,114,386MOVABLEWVALL STRUCTURE .liSheets-Sheet v Filgd Jan. 2, 1935 Apfil 19,1938.

LJJ. KIL LION' I MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE l3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Jan. 2,1935 ...T.:. J .u......... 2..

""""l"l IIIIIIIIIII April 19, 1938;

L. J. KILLION 2,114,386

MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE Filed Ja a-. 2}; 1935, 1 1s Sheets-Sheet 1o April1938. LfJ. KILLION 2,114,386

MOVABLE WALL STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 2, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 PatentedApr. 19, 1938 UNITED s'rA Es PATENT- ormon 16 Claims.

This invention relates to movable wallstructures of that type whichcomprises an assembly of integral wall units presenting facings ofplast'er or other plastic material. Said type is tube 5 distinguishedfrom the sheet metal partition walls now in wide use, andlikewise'fromthose walls in whichthe supporting structure of 'studs'orother framework is erected first, and preformed building board isapplied subsequently to one or both i sides of said supportingstructure.

; My invention provides a wall which not only resembles a plaster wallbut which is actually a plaster wall and is adapted tobe erected inconjunction with permanent plaster walls already in place andtoextendias an integral structure from fioor to ceiling of any normalheight room, regardless of said height. Moreover, my inventioncontemplates units which are complete integral units, adapted to beerected in the field without preliminary framework and without requiringthe filling in of areas above units which arev too short for theirlocation. v

My invention makes available for the first time units which may beeasily and economically manufactured, safely handled in shipment andstor- "age, easily and economically erected or dismantledinwhole or inpart.with"coinplete salvage of the part or parts'removed, and. in anyassembly of which door'and panel units may be easily interchanged.Moreover, the panel unit may beeasily and economically altered inrespect I to height and width, and cut to meet obstructions, andmay bere-altered and re-used indefinitely. Said wall unitsare not easilydamaged and are of ....5 such character as to be easily and perfectlyre- ,paireda In accordance with .my invention, the number of differentstandard units is kept to a minimum while fulfilling all normalrequirements of layout. Moreover,. the units'o'f my invention 40 arearranged to be fastened in identical manner and may be installed withoutthe necessity of levelling the floor or providing a level foundation forthe wall. 5 Neither the layout nor erection work requires extensivepreliminary. engineering and the units maybe easily selected and orderedand v carried on inventory in storage.

My invention includes within its scope a novel panel unit for a movablewall structure, which unit includes a metallic frame, a non-metallic 5'sheet secured at its inner face to said frame and having projections,suchas cleats on its outer face, and a covering of plastic material suchas plaster or. gypsum molded upon the outer face of'said sheet.- Themetallic frame may be advantageously constructed by welding togetherseparate members of thin sheet steel having one or more angles and maybe stiffened by struts of plastic material molded within the confine'sofsaid "members. Flange portions of the metallic frame may be utilized asmetallic binders for the 5 edge surface of the unit.- In its preferredform the panel unit of'my invention has similar composite slabs uponopposite faces, is of hollow con-' struction with a vertically disposedrecess ineach end face, and fastening and splicing mechanisms 10 areprovided within the hollow body of the unit, which mechanisms areentirely concealed in the finished'wall.

My invention permits the use of units of identical structure extendingcontinuously from floor 15 toceiling except for-a portion at the basewhich is removable for access to the'fastening mechanism in erecting ordismantling the wall.-

In additionv to the above described panel'unit, my inventioncontemplates'an assortment of interchangeable units in which is includeddoors, 20 sash 'or other openings, or which mayserve as corner portionsin the wall.

Important features of my invention reside in the splicing mechanismwhich aligns and fastens two'section's of cutpanel units together toform a spliced unit; The novel desig'n'of this mechanism permitsunits'to be altered'to any desired size,'height, or width. Preferablyeach unit is provided withelongated tubular or channel shapedmembersfopen' ended to receive aligning connectors, and these tubular orchannel members are'eft'ective to receive said connectors at the topedge, orat any out edge, horizontally or verticallyJin a unit. Moreover.a unit thus "spliced may be separatedinto its component sections bymoving said connectors longitudinally in the tubular or-channel membersso as to clear the line of joint'between said sections.

The invention also includes as another impor- 40 tant' feature, amechanism for aligning and fastening adjacent units to one another inthe wall.

' This includes a carrier member for movable clips,

which member is mounted within the recess in the end "face of the unitand arranged for movement, 5 first, transversely from a position out ofline with the joint between the units into operative relation with fixedclips on the unit's,and second, in a direction to effect the desiredfastening operation. Moreover, the reverse operation disengages saidclips and then moves 'carrier out of line with the joint between theunits.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of v a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of atypical wall constructed in accordance with my invention showing thevarious forms of wall units in place;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a panel unit which'has been out bothvertically and horizontally;

Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive are views in perspective representing remainderportions of horizontally cut units;

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of a standard panel unit with portionsbroken away;

Fig. 10 is a view in perspective of a standard door unit;

Fig. 11 is a view in perspective of the outside portion of a standardcorner unit;

Fig. 12 is a similar view of the inside portion of a corner unit;

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective of the reinforcing sheet of a standardpanel unit with portions broken away;

Fig. 14 is a view of the horizontal cross section; I

Figs. 15 to 18 are fragmentary: views in perspective showing details ofthe connection between the partsof the panel unit;

Fig. 19 is a view in horizontal cross section of a standard panel unit,the plastic facing being omitted from one side of the unit;

Figs. 20 and 21 are views of a standard panel unit in vertical crosssection on line 48-48 of Fig. 19; I

Fig. 22 is a view in persepective of a panel unit with portions brokenaway to show the metallic frame, also a portion of the reinforcing sheetattached thereto and a lesser portion of the plastic facing;

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of, a standarddoor unit;

Fig. 24 isa fragmentary view in perspective of the outer and innerportions of a standard corner unit; I

Figs. 25 to 2'7 are views in perspective illustrating details of thepanel unit splicing devices;

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the upper corner portionof a standard panel unit, showing the fasteners for securing it to theceiling;

Fig. 29 Ba fragmentary view in perspective of the lower corner portionof a standard panel unit showing the fasteners for securing it to thefloor;

Fig. 30 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating details of theconnection of thegpanel unit with an intersecting wall;

Figs. 31 and 32 are views in horizontal cross section of standard andcut panel units respectively; g

Fig. 33 is a view in perspective of the wall fitting;

Figs. 34 and 35 are views in perspective illustrating the unit fasteningclips in position within standard panel units showing particularly thecarrier for the movable clips; i

Fig. 36 is a view of the samein elevation and reinforcing sheet in ione. smaller scale;

Fig. 37 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating furtherdetails of the panel unit fastening clip mechanism and showingparticularly the means of controlling the movement of the vcarrier forthe movable clips;

. ings for the side edge of the unit.

Fig. 39 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a second modifiedmeans of controlling the movement of the carrier for the movable clip;

Fig. 40 is a view in horizontal cross section showingthe arrangement ofthe panel fastening mechanism of Fig. 37 within abutting panel units;

Fig. 41 is a view in horizontal cross section showing the arrangement ofthe panel fastening mechanism of Fig. 38 within abutting panel and doorunits; and v Fig. 42 is a view in horizontal cross section showing thearrangement of the panel fastening mechanism of Fig. 39 within abuttingpanel, corner and door units.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the units composing myinvention reference is directed to Fig. lwhich illustrates in condensedform the conditions to be encountered and the application of the unitsof this invention to these conditions. The units extend vertically fromthe floor I to the ceiling 2, the floor and ceiling being of anyconstruction, and horizontally between two intersecting walls of anycharacter 3. All units have been cut off at the top to fit between floorand ceiling. 4 represents a panel unit of standard width abutting anintersecting wall. 5 represents an adjacent door unit. 6 an adjacentpanel unit of width less than standard made by combining two sectionseach cut pref erably from separate standard units. 1 and 8 representtheoutside and inside portion of an adjacent corner unit. 9 representsan adjacent panel unit of width greater than standard made preferably bycombining the excess portions obtained in'making the panel unit 6. I0represents an adjacent portion of a standard unit abutting anintersecting wall. ll represents a removable portion at the base ofpanel units.

Attention is called to two items of outstanding importance, first thatonly three standard units, panel unit, door unit and corner unit arenecessary to construct this typical wall structure and, second thatthere is no waste, as all excess portions of the units are usable forsplicing purposes. These two items together with the two fundamentalrequirements namely that the wall have the characteristics of a plasterwall and that it be movable, both of which requirements are fulfilled ashereinafter shown make this invention of noteworthy importance to thebuilding indus try.

I will first proceed to describe the construction of what I may term thestandard panel unit which is the principal unit of the movable wallstructure of my invention. This unit comprises a rigid metallic framecomposed of various sheet metal angle members, and in the term anglemembers I include channel forms and all sheet metal forms having one ormore angles therein.

As shown in Figs. 19, 22, and 23, the frame comprises at each side edgea vertically disposed channel member 31 having outturned flanges.Preferably and as herein shown, said flanges 4| are longitudinallycorrugated and serve as bind- The channel member 31 forms a metal boundrecess in the edge face of the unit which serves purposes laterdescribed. Located in parallel spaced relation tothe backof channelmember 31 is a vertical channel member 39 withinturned flanges formingan open ended guideway for splicing or aligning connections as will bepresently explained. The channel'members 3'! and 39 are preferably ofthe same length and extend continuously from topto bottom of the plasticslab portion of theunit which is hereinafter described. Between thebacks of channel members 31 and 39 and disposed at right angles theretoare two oppositely disposed channel members 38 which are welded to, andserve as spacing connectors for said channel members 31 and 39. Thechannel members=-38 may be continuous or they may consist of relativelyshort lengths spaced vertically at intervals.

Vertical angle members 40 are welded to the side flanges of the verticalchannel member 31' and disposed with their outturned, corrugated flangesin parallel spaced relation to the exterior flanges 4|. Horizontalstruts or braces 43 of corrugated construction may be interposed betweenthe vertically extending members, as shown in Figs. 22 and 23, and serveto stiffen the whole structure and divide the side edge portions of thepanel unit into pockets or compartments that serve to' localize anypossible damage to the panel unit and also facilitate repair of suchdamage. Tongues 42 are struck out of the material of these flanges andserve as anchoring means for the plastic facing of the unit, as will bepresently described. 1

The vertical members 31 or the unit are held in rigid spaced relation byhorizontally disposed members welded at their ends to the verticalassembly. Sectional views of these members are also shown in Figs. 20and 21. The upper of these horizontal members comprises a channel member5| which is welded at its ends'to the flanges of'vertical channelmembers'39. Channel member 5| has overhanging flanges forming a guidewayfor splicing and aligning connectors and it is preferably similar oridentical insection to vertical channel member 39. On each of theupstanding flanges of channel member 5| is secured an angle member without-turned corrugated flange 59 having struck out tongues 42 whichserves as a binding for the upper edge of the unit. Onthe back ofchannel member 5| anddisposed at right angles thereto are two oppositelydisposed "channel members 52 which are preferably similar or identicalin section to vertical channel members 38 and which may be continuous ormay consist of relatively short lengths at spaced intervalshorizontally. At intermediate points within the unit are providedchannel members 5 I welded atthe ends to vertical channel members 39 andhaving channel members 52 welded to the backs thereof. The lowermosthorizontally disposed member comprises guideway channel member 5| weldedat its ends to vertical channel members 39 and having channel members 52welded to the back thereof. Each downstanding flange of guideway channelmember 5| has secured thereto an angle member with out-turned'corrugated flange 53 having struck out tongues "which serves as abinding for the bottom edge of the slab portion of the unit. I

Each of the vertically disposed metallicassemblies formed as describedabove by channel members 31, 38 and 39 maybe strengthened as shown bymolding a bar of plastic material l6 within the. confines of saidmembers, this composite as- -sembly being horizontally perforated bycircular or other shaped openings to reduce weight and permit access forthe reception of concealed wiring and the like. Moreover, each of thehorizontally disposed metallic assemblies formed .as described above bychannel members 52 and 5| may be strengthened as shown by molding a barof plastic material l8 within the confines of said members, thiscomposite assembly being vertipurpose.

cally perforated by circular or other shaped openings 45 to reduceweight-andpermit access. The above described plastic bars l6 and 3 arepreferably poured before thenindividual'metallic as? semblies are framedtogether. v p v The non metallic reinforcing sheet 29 used in thestandard panel unit is bcst shown in Fig- 13 and may be constructed offibre, composition such as bakelite, or any other tough and strong,sound insulating material. 'Each of thesesheets 29 is of such dimensionas to cover substantially one side of the metallic frame and is providedwith vvertical slots 33 and horizontal slots 34 at such locations astoreceive the tongues 36 which.

are struck out of the members of. the metallic frame, all as. shown onfragmentary views Figs. 15 to. 18. These tonguesare clenched upon.,the

outer faceof the sheets 29 holding them in place uponopposite sides ofthe metallic framealthough it may be understoodthat .any other suitablefastening means may. be employed. Each sheet .29 is provided upon; itsouter face with a series of projecting cleats'39. The horizontal spacebetween said cleats 30 is arbitrarily I shown as being equal to thewidthof said cleat 30, but it is to be understood that other ratios arepermissible. Furthermore, the cleats3|lmay extend horizontally. insteadof. :verticallyas shown. The cleats 30 are shown as being fastened tothebody of sheet29by clinch nails 32 but any suitable fastening means maybe employed, or in some cases it may be desirable to make thecleats asan integral part of the sheet.

The outer face of each cleat 39 is provided with I undercut grooves 3|preferably extending obliquely and forming anchoring recesses for theplastic covering of theunit. Furthermore, each cleat 30-is undercut onall edgesfor the same Sheet 29 overlapshorizontal channel member 52 attop and bottom and vertical channel member 38 at each side a sufficientamount to insure proper fastening fortongues 36. Each face of thestandard panel unit is completed by molding plaster, gypsum or otherplastic compound upon the outer face of each of the two sheets 29 sothat the plastic material extends continuously between the verticalout-turned flanges 4| and the out-turned flanges 59 and 53 of the upperand lower horizontal members; The plastic material 46 thus encloses theprojecting cleats 30 and fills the space between the vertical flanges 40and 4|, being anchored in placeby the cleats 30 and their grooves 3|,and

the corrugations of and the tongues struck out from the out-turnedflanges 40,v 4|, 50, and 53. The out-turned tongues 36 by which sheets29 are secured to the metallic frame. also afford anchoring means forthe body of the plastic ma cleat carrying sheets 29 and thefinishedcovering of plaster or plastic material, all permanently manufactured ina comparatively light, rigid, sound-proof unit.

The panel unit above described may be manufactured in quantity andmaintained in stock in standard size, but it is contemplated that itwill be necessary on each erection job to adjust the height of the unitto fit ceilings of various heights, generally lower'but sometimes higherthan the unit,and furthermore to employ one or more units of width lessor greater than standard. The construction of the unit is thereforedesigned to permit sawing on horizontal or vertical lines and thesplicing together of the cut sections, and furthermore, the splicing ofa cut section directly to the top of the unit. In cutting a'unithorizontally or vertically it is entirely practical to saw through thesheet steel of the frame members and'the non-metallic sheets 29 withoutinjuring the plastic portions of the unit.

The panel unit may be cut horizontally on any line below the uppermostchannel members}? when it is desired to reduce the height of the unit. Icontemplate a standard height of unit of ten feetor thereabouts and thisis sufllcient to take care'ofrooms of ordinary height by cutting oil acomparatively narrow section from the top of the unit, which narrowsection is not thrown away but is retained for splicing'purposes. It isto be noted that the top of the standard unit and all horizontally cutsections thereof present a pair of perfectly aligned splicing channels39. In adapting any unit, standard or cut, to a higher room, that is toincrease the height of the splicing connectors 66-shown in Figs. 25 to27 are employed. Said connector 66 comprises a short channel iron havingthe ends of its flanges chamfered or tapered to facilitate insertion andhaving anabutment angle 61 secured to the inner face of its web.Moreover said connector 66 is provided with a centrally locatedtransverse hole 69 extending through its flanges for the insertion of arod 68 which extends outwardly on both sides of the connector. In makinga vertical splice, a connector 66 carrying a rod 68 is forced into eachof the splicing chan nels 39 of one component section all as shown inFig. 30. The splicing channels 39 of the complementary section are thenforcedzonto the projecting connector ends and the two sections areforced toward one another until separated only by rod 88. Rod 68 is nowremoved and closure is completed with connector 66 substantiallycentered with the line joint between sections, which line joint ishidden by the painting of the completed wall. i

crease the height of any unit of either standard or altered height, allas described above. It will be seen, therefore, that in carrying myinvention into eflect, I have the advantage of a supply of cut sectionsalways available for splicing purposes.

In Fig. 2 is represented a vertical section formed by making a verticalcut through a unit that had previously been horizontally cut off at thetop. This section presents at its vertically cut edge the perfectlyaligned open. ends of the out horizontal splicing channels SI and thissec tion may be united to any other vertically cut section to form anintegral unit by means of One ormore of these sections may be utilizedto insplicing connectors 66, the procedure being simi-' lar to thatdescribed'above for making the vertical splice. Moreover, since thewidth of the completed unit is the combined widths of the componentsections, proper selection of sections will produce a unit of anyotherwise. 1

When it is desired to separate a spliced unit into its component parts,connectors 66 are forced longitudinally in the splicing channels 39 or5| in either direction to clear the line of joint and the-two sectionsautomatically fall apart. More over, each of the sections is immediatelyavailable for re-use and these operations may be repeated indefinitely.Any convenient bar engaged against buttress angle 61 will serveconnectors 66. V This invention contemplates alternative structuresproviding a unit of standard height such as feet. In the first example,the unit proper is'in one piece, full height, in whichcase the width ofthe unit will preferably be one: half the width of the door unit. In thesecond example, the unit properis in two pieces, a lower sectionapproximately 8 feet high, and an upper section desired width, standardor to move the approximately 2 feet high, the construction of the twosections being similar. In this case the width of the unit willpreferably be the width of the d Q unit. It is contemplatedthat justbefore actual erection, the upper section will bemounted onto the lowersection by the'splicing detail described above; When this unit isdismantled and returned to storage it is further contemplated that it'willbe separated into its upper and lower sections to facilitatehandling, likewise. as described above.

In preparing the upper edge of a unit for connection to the ceiling,whether the unit has been cut, or spliced or not, it is proposed toinsert a vertical reinforcing channel member ll between the flanges ofthe channel member 31. This is best shown in Fig. 28 and is adapted tobe placed in the top of the unit and flush with the upper edge thereof.The reinforcing channel member II is heldfirmly in place by bolts 16passing through the webs of channel members 31 and 39 and the plasticbody of the strut l6 between and a reinforcing plate 12 which ispositioned upon the inner face of the splicing channel member 39. Thepanel is thus reinforced in that portion whichis to be connected to theceiling. The reinforcing channel member 1| carries upon its side walls apair of fixed clips 22, which clips are a spaced distance from the topof said channel member H and hence will automatically be installed adefinite distance from the ceiling, an important feature of thisinvention, all of which will be referred to hereinafter.

Connection is made between the upper edge of a standard, or cut, orspliced unit and the ceil-. ing by channel shaped ceiling fittings l5,shown in Fig. 28. Fitting l5 has flanges with converging portions 14 foreasy entrance into the hollow body of the unit, and the web portionthereof is perforated at 15 to receive a lag screw or expansion-bolt 13.In erecting a wall, a series of ceilingfittings I5 is first secured tothe ceiling with the individual fittings aligned and spaced so as to liebetween the vertical stud members of adjacent units as best shown inFig. 28. Preferably, the fittings are centered on the vertical line ofjuncture and thus serve accurately to align adjacent units at theceiling. It will be understood that the celllng connection may beidentical for panel and door units and that if necessary a similarconnection may be employed in the of corner units. i

Before proceeding to describe the connection between the panel unit-andthe floor, further description of the bottom edge of the unit will begiven. It will be understood that the lower edges of the non-metallicsheets 29 and the plastic filler 48 are bounded by the lower horizontalassembly of frame members, the plaster being bound by the out-turnedcorrugated flanges58, as best shown in Figs. 21 and 29. The oppositelydisposed channel members 38 of the vertical studs of the unit, however,extend below the flanges 58 and constitute in effect legs which spacethe composite slabs of the unit approximately fiveinches above thefloor, thus affording access to the interior thereof for, purposes whichwill be presently described. Said channel members 38. supplemented atthe bottomby two side plates 58 which extend upwardly into the body ofthe unit and enclose the side faces of plastic column i8 which wouldotherwise be exposed. The plates 88 may be inserted inside the flangesof the channel members 38 and welded in place prior to pouring theplastic body of the stud column it. Each unit, therefore, is providedwith a leg adjacent to each lower corner and the unit maybe levelled andpermanently supported by shimming up these legs independently regardlessof the condition of the 81 through or into the leg of the unit. Inerecting a wall, these floor fittings are secured in place in alignmentand with proper spacing tov fit against the legs of adjoining units. Inpractice the floor fittings M will be located vertically beneath theceiling fittings I5. In Fig. 29 is shown a plate 84 positioned beneath afloor fitting H to afford-a fair bearing therefor. Shimplates 85 arealsoshown as interposed between the plate 84 and the bottom of the legof theunit.

After the wall structure has been erected, the open space beneath thehorizontal flanges 53' may be filled by cover members H of properwidthto fill the space between the flange and the floor and perforatedso that they may be attached to the legs of the unit by screws 58 orother means. The cover members I I as shown in Fig. 21 comprise a moldedmetallic facing 56 shaped with upper and lower corrugated flanges,similar-to those already described in connection with the standard unit,and a filling of gypsum or other compound; The outer face of each covermember II is recessed longitudinally so that it may be used to contain.wiring if desired," and it is contemplated that the assembled covermember may be concealed by a conventional base of metal or otherbuilding material.

The connection between the vertical edge of a standard or vertically outunit and an intersecting wall may be made by wall fittings 90, shown inFigs. 30 to 33. The fitting is channel shaped and is provided withconverging flange portions 85 for easy entrance into the hollow body ofthe unit. It is also provided withv an angle iron 9| secured in placebetween its flanges and-havinga perforation 86 in the oustanding flange.entirefitting is perforated at 44 to receive a toggle bolt or lag screw82. Wall fittings 88 are secured to the face of the intersecting wallstruc- The' ture 3 in aligned relation and spaced so that the hole 88 inthe angle iron 9i lies opposite to one of the horizontal openings, inthe vertical stud member of the unit. A hook bolt 93 ispassed throughthe opening '45. and engaged through perforation 86 with the angleiron'iil of the wall fitting 80. In the case of the standard unit suchas represented in Fig. 31, the hook bolt will be of lengthsuflicient to,pass'through both vertical studs of the unit. Aperforated plate orwasher 84 is provided at the outer end of each bolt and by taking up thenut, the'u'hit'may be drawn firmly into engagement with the;intersecting wall 8 and held rigidly in place. In the case of averticallycutunit such as is represented in Fig. 32, the hook bolt willbe of length suflicient to pass through the verticalstud member of thecut unit. These hook bolts may be supplied asrods of random lengththreaded at one end in which case they are bent to. proper length by theworkman onthejob. I

In order to align the vertical edges of adjacent units and to fasten theunits together, the following mechanism is provided. Each unit has a. I

series of fixed clips 22 secured. in spaced relation to both oftheinsidefaces of the flanges of the vertical channel'members' 31. The clipsj22are arranged one above another atv predetermined heights with respect tothe lower end of the vertical stud members of the unit. Accordingly,

when two units are'brought into abutting relation in the wall structure,two'of these fixed clips'22 will lie adjacent to eachother and inopposite relation on opposite sides of the line of juncture between theunits. Referring to Fig. '34,

it will be plain that each fixed" clip 22 has a corresponding oppositelydisposed clip located opposite to it in'the adjacent unit and thattheclips are larranged 'Tinpairsupon both-of the flanges of each abuttingchannel member 31 so that both of the spaced slabs of the units will befastened as will presently'appear. Referring to Fig. 39, each of theclips 22 is provided with a. j

flangehaving anoverhangi'ng rib i9, and the ribs maybe bevelled orchamfered at ''one or both ends for. the reception of a movableconnecting clip 8 i The clip 8| is a channel member designed to engagethe flanges of two fixed clips22, to fit over the ribs 18 andto draw thetwo clips toward each other, as shownin Fig. 34. In addition to thefunction of firmly holding the units together I at their line ofjuncture, the clips have the additional function of accurately aligning.the units so that their outer surfaces shall exactly coincide and beflush in thewall structure.

As. a convenient means for positioning and interlocking the movableclips 8| with the fixed clips 22 I providea carrier which is best shown.I

in Figs. 34 to'36, which comprises a vertically disposed angle. bar 81to whichis welded or otherwise secured one movable clip 8! for each pairof fixed clips 22 on the units, vertical spacing of said I clips to beidentical. An extension bar 98 is adjustably oonnected to'the upper partof bar 91 by I bolts 99 and tothe upper end of bar 98 is secured theupper movable clip 8|. Bar 98 may beadjusted vertically to -locate theupper movable clip 8i properly for interlocking engagement with-theuppermost pair of fixed clips 22. Said uppermost fixed-clips 22 aresecured to thefianges of reinforcing channel member 'H and are always a.flxed distance from the ceiling as hereinbefore explained. Due. tovariable ceiling heights, ;the distance between said uppermost fixedclips- 22 and the pair immediately below which are mounted uppermost onthe unit proper will likewise be avariable distance and extension bar 98may be adjusted vertically on angle bar 91 to bring the uppermostmovable clip 8| into the same relation with respect to the uppermostpair offlxed clips 22 whichthe lower movable clips 8| bear to the lowerfixed clips 22 in the unit. It will be understood that all the movableclips 9| are simultaneously presented by the carrier above describedinto position to be interlocked with the whole series of fixed clips 22on one face of the units in securing the edges of adjacent unitstogether.

At its lower end each bar 91 is provided with a hole I00 which islocated in the open space at the when two units are broughtinto-abutting rela to 42 and it will be understood that in any unit thecarriers are mounted so that in facing the edge recess, the carrier isalways located at the same side of the recess, for example, always atthe left side of the recess. The resultis that tion, the carrier membersoccupy diagonally opposite positions in the space formed by the twovertically extending recesses, one carrier member operating on each faceof the units.

In mounting the carrier assembly in the unit a pair of bracket membersI02 is utilized and. secured to the face of channel member 31 by screwsI03. (Figs. 3'1 and 40) Said bracket member I02 has an oustanding flangeprovided with a cam slot I06 having a lower vertical portion and anupper inwardly inclined portion and the carrier bar 91 is connectedthereto by a stud or screw I04 which is arranged to travel in the camslot I06 and is provided with a washer I05 interposed between the backof the carrier bar 91 and the outstanding flange of the bracket I02. Asa result of this connection, the carrier assembly in its downwardmovement travels first, transversely with respect to the joint into aposition in which the movable clips 8| are located vertically above thecarrier being in in-operative position. After the carrier assembly hascompleted its transverse movement it stands directly behind the line ofjuncture between the units, and in its final position the clips arefully interlocked.

In Fig.. 40 which shows a portion of a panel unit abutting a portion ofanother panel unit in plan view, one carrier assembly is shown in lockedposition and the other 'i-n' its initial inoperative position. In Fig.38 I have shown an alternative manner of mounting the carrier assemblyin the standard panel unit. As shown in this figure, a

pair of angle brackets I08 are'se'cured to the face of the channelmember 31 by screws I03 and carrier bar 91 is connected to thesebrackets by means of parallel links I09. Link I09 is secured to anglebracket I08 by pivot pin I04 provided with a washer I05 and the link isconnected. at its'outer end to carrier member 91 by a pin and slotconnection the slot III being shown in Fig. 38. The links I09 maintainthe carrier bar 91 always in a vertical position and insure itstransverse movement to align the clips and then through the pin and slotconnection permit it to be moved vertically to interlock the clips. InFig. 41 which shows a portionof a panel unit abutting a portion of adoor unit in plan view one carrier assembly is shown in locked positionand the other in its initial in -operative position.

A second alternative form of mounting the carrier assembly is shown inFig. 39. In this construction a pair of hinge brackets I I3 are securedto the face'ofchannel member 31 by screws I03. The member 3 carries avertical hinge pintle I I I which passes through a U-shaped hinge memberI I5 which is fastened to the flange of the bar 91 of the carrierassembly. The carrier is thus permitted to swing through substantiallyfrom an inoperative position, into a position shown in, Fig. 42, inwhich the movable clips. 8| are in alignment with the fixed clips 22 andthe carrier bar 91 stands directly behind the junction between theadjacent units. The carrier assemblymay then move downwardly, the hingemr nber I|5 sliding upon the hinge pintle H4 and the clips are thusbrought into interlocking engagement.

In Fig. 42 which shows a portion of a panel unit abutting a corner'unitwhich in turn abuts a portion of a door unit in plan view, one carrierassembly for the outer portion is shown in locked position and the othercarrier assembly for said outer portion in its initial in-operativeposition. The fasteningof the panel and'door unit to the corner unitinside portion will be referred to hereinafter.

will beseen that the carrier assembly may be 'moved to an inoperativeposition when-desired,

in which it does not obstruct the insertion or removal of the unit inwhich it is located Moreover, all the necessary manipulation of I thecarrier mechanism may be effected by access affordedv through the spaceat the bottom of the unit.

TThe standard panel unit has now been fully discussed and thedescription of the door unit now follows. As hereinbefore explained inconnection with the standard panel unit, this invention contemplatesalternative structures providing a door'unit of standard height such asten feet. In the first example, the door unit proper is in one piece,full height, in which case it will preferably be twice the width of thecorresponding panel unit so that it will be interchangeable with twopanel units in the wall structure. In the second example, the door unitproper is in two pieces, a lower section approximately eight feet highwhich contains the door frame, and an upper section approximately twofeet high which is similar in construction to the corresponding sectionof the panel unit, and the two sections will be assembled beforeerection into a single unit in the same manner as'outlined for the panelunit. In the second example the 'width of the door unit will preferablybe the width of the panel unit'so that it will be interchangeable withone panel unit in the wall structure. It is to be understood,

however, that any other desired ratio of widths may be adopted. The sideedges and the upper portions of the door and panel units are identicalin structure.

Referring now to Figs. 10, 23 and 41, the door frame comprises a formed,tubular member preferably constructed from a substantially channelshaped member GI and a tie plate 62. The channel shaped member 6| hasinturned flanges converging inwardly and these are welded tocorresponding flanges formed on tie plate 62. The tubular metallic doorframe extends entirely around the two sides and top of the opening fordoor 25 (Fig. 10) which may be hinged to the door frame in any desiredmanner. The door frame is secured to the metallic framework of the unitby a series of angle brackets 63 bestshown in Fig. 23. One flange ofbracket 63is welded or otherwise secured to tie plate'62 and theoutstanding flange is welded or otherwise secured to the flange ofinterior angle member 40 thus supporting the door frame in rigid spacedrelation to the channel member 31.- The space between the tie plate 62and the channel member 31 is preferably fllled with gypsum or otherplastic material forming an integral stud 23 which stiffens the wholestructure and which corresponds substantially to stud 6" of the standardpanel unit although it may vary somewhat in thickness. The verticalassembly thus formed is provided with spaced horizontal openings 45corresponding in location to the openings in the standard panel unitstuds. It will be understood that the door unit includes the same edgerecesses and the same fixed clips 22 as the standard panel unit, so thatthey may be installed and secured in place in exactly the same manner,all as already fully explained. The opening for the door may be of anydesired height and may include a transom-opening. The construction of.that portion of the unit above the door is similar in all respects tothat of the standard panel unit. A description of the corner unit shownin Figs. 11,- i2, 24, and 42 now follows. This comprises two separateparts which have no physical connection until assembled in the wallstructure. For convenience, they will be termed the outer and'innercorner portions. The outer corner portion comprises a metallic anglemember 64 which has a centrally disposed exterior right angular portionmerging into 'side portions\having out turned corrugatedflanges 35withfstruck out tongues 42, similar to those of the channel mem'-\ ber31 of the standard-panel unit. In fact, each longitudinal half of the\channel member 64 corresponds substantially to half of the channelmember 31, already described. Secured to the side portions of member 64are the same interior angle members 40 and struts 43 which are em ployedin the standard panel unit. The external corner of the outer portion 21includes a corner bead 65 of any commercial design and is formed bypouring gypsum or other plastic compound into a mold shaped suitably toproduce a form of right angular cross section. The main portion of thebody thus formed is substantially square in cross section, withdiverging side portions disposed at right angles to each other. Atitslower end, the outer corner portion is shouldered at a heightcorresponding to the corrugated flange 53 which determines the loweredge of the slab portion of the standard'panel unit. The walls of themetallic member 64 are equipped with fixed clips 22 corresponding inlocation to those of the standard panel unit, and it will be understoodthat the outer corner portion may fastened to The inner portion of thecorner unit comprises a, metallic member presenting; an exterior; rightangle and having' in-tu-rned flanges. when properly located with respectto the outer portion of the corner unit, it outlines therewith a square.The in-turned flanges of the member 28 are arranged to co-operate withthe fixed clips- 22 of the standardpanel or door unit, permitting themovable clips 8| to be used in securing the two together. The details ofthis'connection are well shown in Fig. 42. 'In this connection, nocarrier bar is required for the movable clips 8| since the connection ismade before the outer corner portion is put in place and disconnectionis made after the outer corner portion is removed'so that 1 the workmanhas free access to the interior of the unit.

The general nature ofmyinvention will 'be clear from the foregoingdescription of the specific construction selected forpurposes of i1-lustration as illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention. Itwilt-be understood that the dimensions of the various units may bevaried within wide limits and that other materials than thosespecifically described may be employed in the construction of the units.

I prefer to employ thin gauge sheet steel in the metallic portions ofthe frame because this may be easily shaped and'worked in constructingthe units and cut in adapting them for erection. The longitudinalcorrugations appearing in the binding flanges not only stiffen and holdstraight these portions of the frame but serve as eificient protectionfor the units in storageand in transportation.

It will be apparent that the employment of a wall constructed inaccordance with myinvention eliminates the necessity for fleldplastering as well as the use of mortar. The capacity for cutting tosize eliminates the end condition heretofore encountered in movable wallstruct as and'the cut sections of the units have a complete salvagevalue and may be reused indefinitely, being attached or detached toother unit sections as many times as desired. Similarly, connection ismade to ceilings irrespective of ceiling height.

The edge construction of'the individual units is of particularimportance in that the binding flange is'stifiened and held straight byreinforcement extending between it and theinternal flanges of the frame-This reinforcement may take the form of horizontal struts, as hereinillustrated, or of curved or angular supporting members engagingtheinner face of the binding flange. The pockets formed by suchreinforcement may be filled, if desired, with special damage-resistingplastic compound.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A panel unit for a movable wail structure I

